The city of Stirling could soon impose a curfew and lower speed limits on e-scooter riders over safety, noise, and antisocial behavior.
Councilor Felicity Farrelly had previously indicated that she intended to request a report on a ban on using e-scooters rented by Neuron Mobility between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
On Tuesday night, however, she filed an amended motion asking the city to work with Neuron and representatives of the affected community to identify problem areas and implement nighttime curfews and slower speed limits.
Cr Farrelly also requested that an analysis of the benefits or problems of introducing the restrictions be reported back to the board.
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During the meeting, a resident of Karrinyup asked if the city could also consider restricting the use of e-scooters and parking around retirement homes and aged care facilities.
“They are silent, and older community members have no warning about their approach. There have been some terrifying near misses,” she said.
She also said the scooters were “often left on our sidewalks” and that she “regularly removed them so that those using walkers and power wheelchairs can pass them safely”.
Camera IconE scooter safety is in the spotlight after several accidents lately. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian
A resident of Watermans Bay also encouraged the city to introduce a curfew, saying they were “already in effect at many Neuron locations around the world”.
“The inconvenience to taxpayers who have to listen to noisy cyclists outside office hours is unacceptable and affects the phyresidents’al and mental well-being of resnot fun,” she said.
“Implementing a curfew is a small logical and sensible measure that can be taken to minimize further damage.”
Mayor Mark Irwin said that while the council would take all feedback and consult affected community members, he believed there was a “bigger problem” the city would face.
“I think the Neuron scooters are probably not the biggest problem here. The private planes travel at a much higher speed because at least there are controls for it,” Irwin said.
The push for restrictions comes after a spate of e-scooter incidents in Perth in recent weeks, including two fatal crashes that last week resulted in the deaths of e-scooter rider and father of three Kim Rowe in Thornlie, and 13-year-old Calym Gilbert, who died in Butler in February.
Camera IconKim Rowe, 46, was riding his e-scooter when he fatally collided with a cyclist in Thornlie. Delivered Credit: Delivered/Delivered
Cr Farrelly has raised concerns about the safety of those using the 250 rented scooters used since February as part of Perth’s first trial of the devices.
“Use of the e-Scooters after 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. results in nighttime activities that cause health, safety, and welfare problems for residents in the pilot area,” Cr Farrelly said in the notice of the motion.
The proposed curfew would not apply to private e-scooter owners and would only apply to the orange Neuron e-scooters that are part of the city’s 12-month trial.
Camera IconCalym Gilbert was 13 when he died in a scooter accident. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
To participate in the e-scooter trial, riders must be over 18 and have downloaded the Neuron Mobility app. To operate the scooter, they must scan the code on the screen of one of the scooters, which are parked at tourist hotspots, shopping malls, and major streets around suburbs such as Watermans Bay, Scarborough, Trigg, Karrinyup and Innaloo.
Each Neuron e-scooter has license plates and two-speed gears that the riders control via a button on the scooter’s dashboard.
While driving at 25 km/h on bike paths and community roads is legal, e-scooters are only allowed to travel at 10 km/h on footpaths.
Cr Farrelly said the curfew was preferable to a smaller lawsuit.
“Reducing the pilot area is not seen as the solution, as many of the concerns come from the beachfront residential areas where the noise, nighttime activities, and lack of supervision of e-scooter riders complying with the terms and conditions of the rents are the many concerns,” said Cr Farrelly.
Since the Neuron e-Scooter trial launch, the Scarborough district has been inundated with rented scooters, with Mr. Irwin saying the plan had been “very successful” thus far.
“Since the launch of the 250 e-scooter trials, the majority of people drive responsibly… the city’s trial has been very successful with very few incidents,” he recently told The Sunday Times.
Cr Farrelly said comments would be sought from e-scooter trial operator Neuron about the proposal.
The company will also be asked for information on safe driving practices and strategies, rider trends – including average hourly ride start times and average speeds – operational updates, safety, and nighttime noise strategy, and the impact of curfews in other cities.
